Federal funding has been secured for an ambitious project that will see the expansion of a long-standing hangar at the Roswell Air Center.
The City of Roswell, which owns the airport, has received $1.8 million in funding coming in the form of a Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act grant to pay for the expansion.
Taxiway upgrades near the hangar are also planned.
The project has long been in the planning stage with the City of Roswell and the Air Center having applied for the grant in early 2020.
Hangar 84, located at 605 E. Challenger Street, was built in 1945 when the airport served as a military air base. It was then called the Roswell Army International Airfield.
The structure is currently used by the company CAVU Aerospace, which specializes in commercial aircraft maintenance and repair.
Roswell Air Center officials have said that an expansion of what is currently a 43,600 square foot facility will allow it to serve larger commercial aircraft.
In announcing the grant, New Mexico Senator Ban Ray Lujan pointed out that the expanded hangar will also serve the state’s booming aerospace industry.
A schedule for when work on expanding the hangar will begin has not yet been announced.
By Garry Boulard
